Social skills of preschoolers with and without craniofacial anomalies

The study compared the social skills of preschoolers with and without craniofacial anomalies (CFA). Fifty-two children completed self-perception and facial expression tasks and a social skills interview. Parents and teachers also rated the children's social skills. Children with CFA gave less friendly responses to hypothetical social situations and were rated as less attractive by graduate students. Girls with CFA reported above average self-perceptions. Patients and teachers rated the children with CFA as having a level of social skills equal to the children without CFA. Different factors were predictive of level of social skills for CFA and control children.